


Number Three

by Katsu_oh_hot_damn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Dorks in Love, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Panic Attacks, S8? don't know her, SHEITH - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 06:00:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19056646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katsu_oh_hot_damn/pseuds/Katsu_oh_hot_damn
Summary: There are three different ways their morning could start.Number one: screams, shaking, soft touches, murmured voices, reassurances.Number two: soft touches, trembling, whispered praises, a different kind of shaking.Number three: silence, the occasional snore, someone shifting to pull the other one closer.They didn’t know for sure if there were any other ways that their mornings could start, both favored options number two and number three.That never stopped number one from creeping up on them in the dead of night.





	Number Three

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kittymills](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittymills/gifts).



> a thank-you fic for the lovely Kittymills <3

There are three different ways their morning could start.

Number one: screams, shaking, soft touches, murmured voices, reassurances.

Number two: soft touches, trembling, whispered praises, a different kind of shaking.

Number three: silence, the occasional snore, someone shifting to pull the other one closer.

They didn’t know for sure if there were any other ways that their mornings could start, both favored options number two and number three.

That never stopped number one from creeping up on them in the dead of night. 

The night prior found Keith shaking in the shower, curled up against the tile as the hot water continued to hit his skin. Sleep had originally come pretty easy to both of them, a relaxing evening after a long day of meetings to try to strengthen the coalition was just what they both needed. 

Something had been crawling under Keith’s skin all night, he was still slightly agitated at dinner. Shiro took notice and took his time taking Keith apart after dinner.

What had started as just simple frisky touches and sly comments led to Shiro guiding Keith down onto all fours and giving him what he knew his husband would need to get out of his head. 

That almost always worked. They had a running list of what was ok in bed, what certain things may or may work depending on their own mental space that day. Keith had eagerly agreed when Shiro asked if it was ok to be a bit rougher, knowing that Keith flourished when he had the ability to get out of his head and reset. 

This wasn’t one of those nights apparently. 

Keith was awake and in the shower by 3 am, nothing really had woken him up other than a full bladder, but a glance into the mirror had the panic sinking in quick. It had been three years since the fight, they had talked about it, a lot actually. The period of awkwardness over that time was long gone, and they both respected that they both had more than physical scars from that fight. 

In the loneliness of the night, the venom that had been spoken by the controlled body still rattled Keith to his core. 

He groaned and ran his hands through his hair, pulling slightly. They were past this. They had discussed it, aired their grievances. There should be no more memories haunting him. He should be fine.

His therapist explained multiple times that PTSD didn’t work that way.

He sighed as he turned on the shower, needing something to try to help calm his nerves. 

The water was just a bit too hot, and the white flash of pain brought him right back to that platform, brought him right back to the moment when he was about to let go of everything. What was the point of living in a world without Shiro? Paladins could be replaced, the universe would continue going. But Keith? No, he only existed to exist in Shiro’s orbit. 

The quantum abyss had shown him a future that had a wedding. The vision was too short and too distorted to show Keith what he really needed to see. Instead, all he had seen was what looked like Shiro (with a suddenly glowing arm?) in a white suit, leaning in to kiss someone else in a white suit as everyone cheered around them. The vision was gone as quick as it had appeared, leaving Keith to wonder for months just who Shiro was kissing, and where he stood in it all. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see that future play out.

Panic rose in his chest and suddenly there wasn’t enough oxygen in all of the Earth-like planets in the galaxy to help him breathe. He sunk down as the water continued to hit his skin, his body shaking as if the water was made out of ice.

Shiro didn’t know how long Keith had been in the bathroom when he finally got out of bed, but he had been rolling around for at least twenty minutes, which was longer than Keith ever took a shower for. 

“Babe? You ok? You’ve been in there for a while…” Shiro mumbled as he opened the door to the bathroom, not expecting the wall of heat or the wail of pain that emanated from the form huddled in the corner of the show.

“Shit... I’m coming in Keith. You’re ok my heart..” He quietly opened the glass shower door and slowly turned down the water until it was completely off, giving Keith time to try to come back to himself on his own. They both were well versed at how to handle the others panic attacks, but that never made it easier. 

Shiro gently stepped in and slowly approached Keith, holding the youngers favorite towel in his hands. “I’m right here baby, you’re safe…” He whispered as he gently wrapped the towel around Keith, starting to move him away from the wall in doing so. 

A soft smile came to Shiro’s lips as Keith didn’t startle, but instead instinctively leaned into his husband's touch, welcoming the warmth and security that would be found there.

“There you go, buddy... I got you..” Shiro slowly maneuvered Keith into a standing position, helping his husband back into the bed. The wet floor and damp sheets were a worry for next day Shiro and Keith. 

Keith looked up at Shiro with a sad smile, “I’m sorry…” He mumbled as he tried to burrow himself in his husband's arms, “I didn’t mean to wake you”

The other shook his head, “You didn’t wake me at all, I promise my love” He gently pressed a soft kiss to Keith’s forehead, “Are you doing ok? Can I get you some water?” He was rubbing soft circles along Keith’s arms as he spoke.

“I’m ok now…” He sounded drained, absolutely exhausted, “Can we just cuddle? I don’t know if I can go back to sleep but just being with you is helping me a lot…” Eyes were already slipping closed as he shifted closer to his husband.

“Of course, my heart” Shiro smiled as he adjusted them so they would be comfortable. He had a feeling that his husband would be asleep within minutes, but would make sure he stayed up as long as need be to be sure Keith was ok. 

It was about twenty minutes before a soft snore echoed through their bedroom and Shiro smiled down at the bundle curled up against his side, Keith’s head resting on Shiro’s shoulder, hand curled up on the top hem of Shiro’s tank top. 

Times like this made Shiro glad for the unique arm situation he had. He had worked through the years to be able to link directly with it so that if he was unable to move, the hand could still act for him. Of course, this was meant for emergency situations, Allura had sternly reminded him as soon as she saw Keith blush when the function was explained.

They had a lot of late night emergencies after that.

Shiro closed his eyes and sent the mental nudge to his arm that was next to him, waking it from standby mode as he opened his eyes. He guided the arm to grab the datapad across the room, bringing it back to him. It took a moment for his tired mind to register that he could use it normally as he held it, opening up a new message. There was no way Keith was working tomorrow, coalition be damned. 

The next few hours went by in a half-asleep blur for Shiro, he ended up finally resting once he had cleared both of their schedules, shooting off an apology message to the rest of the paladins, Matt, and Sam that they both weren’t going to be able to make any meetings tomorrow, that a mental health day was needed. They had all been through so much, there was no reason to hide the truth, and everyone understood that sometimes a day off was needed. 

He shifted Keith closer to him, running his human fingers through black locks as he finally drifted off. 

\---

The fact that Keith’s internal clock didn’t wake him up at 7 am was enough to tell him that he needed the break. It was just past 10:30 am when he started to finally wake up, the room around him was silent, save for Shiro softly snoring beside him. 

A soft, warm light fell over Keith as he smiled a bit, snuggling closer to his husband's warmth as the memories of the night prior started to leak in. He took deep breaths as he let them come and watched them go. He had gotten a lot better at letting go of things, letting himself feel the moment but not holding onto it, not letting it sit down and take up camp. 

Another wave of emotion started to build inside him, but this time it was a good one. He never in a million realities would have thought that the wedding he saw in the quantum abyss was his own. It had been years since that day but Shiro’s kiss still lingered on his lips, that goofy grin appearing on his face after they parted and were announced for the first time as Mr. and Mr. Shirogane. Krolia had supported Keith taking Shiro’s name, insisting that his father would have been just as big a supporter of it. 

They had saved the flowers that Allura and Romelle had carefully braided into his hair, they were preserved and framed next to their wedding photo that hung in the living room. It had been a last minute thought, Shiro and Keith had both known what the other was wearing down the aisle, but the two Alteans stole Keith at the last minute with help of a certain cosmic wolf. The tears that sprung into Shiro’s eyes as Keith walked down the aisle were worth it. 

It wasn’t intended for the wedding to be a big ordeal, but when the Admiral of the IGF-Atlas and the Black Paladin of Voltron announced they were to be wed, the entire universe lit up in delight. Weeks later found the two standing beneath a sky sparkling with every star in the universe, hands held as they recited their vows, stumbling over words with misty eyes and watery voices. 

A scratch against his cheek brought him back to the present, “Ah, old man I told you to shave yesterday!” Keith grimaced as he pushed away from Shiro who had been nuzzling his five o’clock shadow into Keith’s cheek, much to his dismay.

Shiro just grinned as he pulled his husband closer, “Oh now I’m old? You weren’t saying that last night” He smirked as he pulled Keith in for a slow kiss.

When they came up for air, Keith rested his forehead against Shiro’s, “I love you... So much..” He smiled as he leaned in to kiss Shiro senseless once again. They had a full day off to take advantage of after all. 

Sometimes it took a while for option number three to come around, but every time did, it was always worth the wait.

**Author's Note:**

> you can find me on twitter! @keef_n_beef


End file.
